Folded-in bag valve with sleeve insert



1950 N. E. WEEKS 2,517,068

FOLDED-IN BAG VALVE WITH SLEEVE INSERT Filed Sept. 8, 1947 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-.l. FIGZ.

1950 N. E. WEEKS 2,517,068

FOLDED-IN BAG VALVE WITH swam: mssa'r Filed Sept. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Aug. 1, 1950 FOLDED-IN BAG VALVE WITH SLEEVE INSERT Norman E.Weeks, Normandy, Mo., assignor to Bemis lBro. Bag Company, St. Louis,Mo., a

corporation of Missouri Application September 8, 1947, Serial No.772,642

(El. ll50--9) 2 Claims. i

This invention relates to valved bags, and more particularly tofolded-in valves having sleeve inserts of the tuck-in type.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa valved bag having a folded-in valve and an improved tuck-in valvesleeve which may be readily tucked in to form a tight closure after thebag is filled; the provision of a valved bag of the class describedwherein the valve is constructed to provide ample space for receivingthe tucked-in portion of the sleeve after the bag has been filled; andthe provision of a valved bag such as described which is economical tomanufacture. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointedout hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a valved bag of this invention, the bottompart of the bag being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view of the valve sleeve of a valve of this invention priorto its application to the Figs. 3 to 5 are views illustratingconsecutive steps in the manufacture of the valved bag;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken substantiallyon line 6--B of Fig. '7;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal longitudinal section takensubstantially on line l-'l of Fig. 1, and showing a filling spout;

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig. 7 illustrating one mode of tuckingin a portion of the valve sleeve to form a closure; and

Fig. 9 is a section similar to Fig. 6 illustrating another mode oftucking in a portion of the valve sleeve to form a closure.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, first particularly to Fig. 1, there iS shownat i a fabric bag having an inturned stitched side seam 3 and a stitchedtop seam 5 closing its mouth. It will be understood that the bag has anintumed stitched bottom seam 4, which appears in Figs. 4,, 5, 7 and 8. Avalve of this invention is provided in the corner at the mouth of thebag opposite the side seam 3.

In general, the valve comprises a folded-in valve flap l and a valvesleeve 9 secured to the valve flap, the sleeve being folded in suchmanner as to have a portion ii extending inwardly into the bag from themarginal edge of the valve flap and a tuck-in portion l3 extending outof the bag. The arrangement is such that a filling spout may be insertedinto the bag through the opening of the valve for filling the bag and,after filling, the portion i3 of the valve sleeve which extends out ofthe bag may be folded or tucked in to prevent loss of the contents ofthe bag.

The valve sleeve 9, illustrated in its initial state in Fig. 2,comprises a generally rectangular blank of any suitable flexible sheetmaterial, preferably creped kraft paper. The blank is ultimately foldedupon a longitudinal center line A and a transverse fold line B. Theblank is provided adjacent one of its ends l5 with a transverse strip ofthermoplastic adhesive H. The other end l9 of the blank, whichultimately becomes the outer end of the valve sleeve in the valved bag,is cut so that it is at a slight angle to the end i5, for a purpose thatwill appear.

In manufacturing the valved bag, the valve sleeve t is first folded uponits longitudinal center line A with the adhesive I! on the outside. Itis then inserted, with end i5 first, in the corner at the mouth of thebag opposite side seam 3 to dispose the strip ll of adhesive againstthat portion of the bag fabric immediately adjacent the mouth of thebag, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Heat and pressure are then applied tocause the sleeve 9 to become adhesively secured to the bag fabric.

The valve sleeve 9, together with a triangular portion of the bag fabricforming the valve flap l, is then folded into the mouth of the bag, asillustrated in Fig. 4. The sleeve becomes folded reversely in respect toits folded condition of Fig. 3. Its short leg is then attached to theinside of the valve flap. It extends laterally into the bag for most ofits length from the marginal edge 20 of the valve flap. The operationcauses corners 2| of the sleeve to fold over between the sides of thevalve flap and the walls of the bag. These folded comers 2! are of noconsequence and may be eliminated, if desired, by trimming of! thecorners of the sleeve before it is adhered to the bag.

The sleeve 9 is then folded back upon itself on the fold line B, asillustrated in Fig. 5, so as to form the portion l I extending into thebag and the portion l3 which extends outward along the outside of thevalve flap I and out of the bag. The fold line B is located asubstantial 3 distance X inward from the marginal edge 20 of the valvefiap 1, preferably about one third the distance Y from the marginal edge20 of the valve flap to the outer end is of the valve sleeve.

The sleeve preferably is initially of such length that, when folded online B in the manner described, the portion 13 extends approximately tothe apex of the valve flap. The marginal edge 20 of valve flap 7 iscontinuous with the mouth edge of the straight-cut mouth of the bag asshown in Fig. 3, thereby eliminating the socalled valve notch" ofprevious types of valved bags.

Subsequently, the mouth of the bag is closed by stitching the top seam5. The latter stitches together the upper margins of the folded sides ofthe valve sleeve 9 so that the-sleeve, in eifect, forms a tube throughwhich a filling spout may be inserted.

Thus, there is provided a valved bag having the folded-in valve fiap 1extending into its mouth and valve sleeve 9 folded upon itself so as tohave portion ll extending laterally inwardly into the bag from themarginal portion of the valve fiap and also having tuck-in portion 13extending out through the valve flap. A filling spout 23 may be insertedbetween the sides of the sleeve, as illustrated in Fig. 7, to fill thebag. Insertion of the spout is facilitated by the divergence of theouter edges of the sleeve, resulting from the angularity of the end IQof the sleeve.

After the bag has been filled and the spout withdrawn, the tuck-inportion 53 of the valve sleeve may be folded over upon a fold line C andtucked between the sides of the valve flap 7 into the deep tuck-in spaceprovided by the folded inward extension H of the valve sleeve, asillustrated in Fig. 8. Alternately, the valve sleeve may be horizontallyflattened and tuck-in portion l3 folded over upon a horizontal fold lineD and tucked through the valve flap i under the remaining portion of thevalve sleeve, with its end extending into the deep tuck-in spaceprovided by the folded inward extension H, as illustrated'in Fig. 9. Thelatter mode of tucking is usually preferred. In either case, thefoldedback portion ll providesa deep pocket for receiving thefolded-over tuck-in portion IS. The folding of the valve sleeve uponline C or D closes off the valve to prevent loss of the contents of thebag and the tucked-in portion I3 is caught in the pocket provided byportion II to prevent unfolding of the sleeve and opening of the valve.

Thus, the construction of the valve of this invention with thefolded-back inward extension H has the advantage of providing a deeptuckin space or pocket for receiving and catching the tucked-in portionof the sleeve. A further significant advantage is that the valve flapand sleeve are not pushed out of the bag by the pressure of its contentswhen it is filled, probably because of the stiffening effect of thefoldedback inward extension I l of the sleeve. Tuckin valve sleeveswithout such an extension are prone to be pushed out of the bag by itscontents with the result that there is no space to receive any tucked-inportion of the sleeve. Even if such sleeves are not pushed out, there isinsufficient space to receive and catch the tucked-in portion.

While I have particularly illustrated the valve of this invention asapplied to a fabric bag, it

4 will be readily understood that it may be applied to paper and likebags. It will also be understood that the valve sleeve 1 may be securedto the bag otherwise than by adhesive, as for example, by stitching.

It will be understood that the adherence at I! may be effected on theoutside of the bag I (Fig. 3), in which event it will finally be on theoutside of the flap, instead of on-the inside as in Fig. 6.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:

1. A valved bag comprising a straight-cut mouth having a folded-in valveflap extended into said mouth, said flap having inside and outsidefaces, and an inward marginal edge which is continuous with thestraight-cut mouth portion, a single-ply valve sleeve comprising a sheetof flexible material adhesively attached adjacent one of its ends to oneof said faces and adjacent to said inside margin, said sheet beingfolded back upon itself so as to have a portion which extends inwardly asubstantial distance from said marginal edge and a portion doubled backover said inwardly extending portion and the adhesive attachment andextending out through the valve flap, so as to provide space within theinwardly extending portion to accept tucking-in of said outwardlyextending portion.

2. A valved bag comprising a straight-cut mouth having a folded-in valveflap extended into said mouth, said fiap having inside and outsidefaces, and an inward marginal edge which is continuous with thestraight-cut mouth portion, a single-ply valve sleeve comprising a sheetof flexible material adhesively attached adjacent one of its ends to theinside of said faces and adjacent to said inside margin, said sheetbeing folded back upon itself so as to have a portion which extendsinwardly a substantial distance from said marginal edge and a portiondoubled back over said inwardly extending portion and the adhesiveattachment and extending out through the valve flap and completelycovering said margin, so as to provide space in the inwardly extendingportion to accept tucking-in of at least some of said outwardlyextending portion.

NORMAN E. WEEKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 907,557 Bates Dec. 22, 19081,754,769 Redington Apr. 15, 1930 1,762,697 Redington June 10, 19302,147,970 Dubois Feb. 21, 1939 2,415,862 Belcher Feb. 18, 1947 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 808,721 France Nov. 24, 1936

